War
by angelic-goddess101
Summary: (AU) Kagome is just your average fifteen-year-old girl who is destined to stop the five-hundred-year war between humans and youkai. Along the way, she meets Inuyasha, the hanyou son of the former general Inutaisho.
1. The Miko

War

Chapter One

_You know, I was born in troubled times. At the date of my birth, the youkai and the humans had been fighting for five hundred years for supremacy. Both sides were awaiting the miko Midoriko's reincarnate, humans because she would bring peace and youkai because she would end their over five hundred year reign. It had been prophesied that the miko would be untrained, so the youkai made it a point to assassinate any girl that they sensed had untrained miko powers… but they missed one._

_Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kagome Higurash and, believe it or not, I am the miko that the humans had waited for so long to save them. And save them I did… in a way that no one, not even myself, had expected. How I managed to hide my powerful abilities from the youkai for fifteen years is still a mystery that has yet to be solved. It's still kind of scary to realize just how many times I brushed with death, and I had no idea. Even as I sit here, writing my story, it's difficult to think of how many innocent people, human and youkai alike, had died awaiting my arrival or as a result of the prophesies that foretold my coming. I was just your average fifteen-year-old, struggling to keep good grades in school in the midst of a major war, yet I changed the world I lived in._

_It wasn't like I just stood up and shouted, "Here I come, people! Today is the day of your salvation!" They would have thrown me into the loony bin. No, it happened gradually over time, and I'm told time after time that it was Fate that sent me down that path… literally. I believe it, but I'm not so sure that Inuyasha does. He's still having a hard time believing that he's mated to the miko that changed the way everyone thought of humans and youkai. _

_But, I digress. I am Kagome Higurashi, Midoriko's reincarnate and Guardian of the Shikon no Tama. My story starts on my fifteenth birthday, the day that my grandfather gives me the Shikon no Tama as a birthday gift and the day my miko powers awakened… _

Kagome cried out silently as she pitched forward, her books spilling out onto the sidewalk. She didn't bother glancing up at the youkai that had shoved her, tears gathering in her blue-gray eyes as she slowly knelt down, gathering her books, listening as the sounds of the youkai's laughter slowly faded away. The humans had been treated like that for several months, ever since the demons had entered the city. Most of the humans had already evacuated, but the ones that hadn't been able to afford to leave, such as Kagome's family, had been forced to stay behind and endure the treatment.

Finished gathering her books and school supplies, Kagome slowly got to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Both she and her mother had been forced to take jobs amongst the upper demon society to be able to feed both Souta, Kagome's younger brother, and Jii-chan, their grandfather. Neither of them had no idea that, in the future, their positions would save them. Kagome had spent all night scrubbing the floors and dusting the shelves and such, and it was got to be rather exhausting because she rarely ever got a chance to rest. If there was one thing she had learned about demons, it was that they tended to be slave drivers and they expected everything to be perfect.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Kagome didn't notice the heads that turned in her direction, nor did she notice the oddly-colored eyes of the demons flicker with interest. Of course, her school uniform didn't help any, with its too-short skirt and its too-tight shirt. No, it only accentuated the problem.

She hadn't gone very far before she tripped, watching in dismay as her books, for the third time that day, tumbled out of her hands and landing on the ground. Kagome managed to catch her balance, luckily, and she took several deep breaths to try and calm her rising temper. If she struck out at a youkai, her whole family would pay dearly, probably with their lives, and she would probably be left to live in misery for the rest of her lives. Instead, she held her breath and counted to ten slowly, feeling her temper waning.

"Where are you going, little girl? School's out?" The youkai sneered at her, grabbing her arm roughly and jerking her closer to him. Her solemn gaze remained on her books, which were now being kicked around the sidewalk, but she didn't dare look up at her captor or try to escape. It was pointless to even try.

"Let me go." Kagome's voice was solemn, and her chest heaved with the effort of trying to remain calm while she was deliberately being baited for her to lose her temper. The youkai ran a clawed hand down her chin, hissing agreeably.

"You're a pretty little wench, aren't you?" he purred, and when Kagome glanced up at his eyes, she knew he was a snake. Definitely poisonous and likely to kill her if she made any wrong move. She struggled to breathe as the youkai tilted his head, his forked tongue traveling down the unknown miko's neck. "Ah, the scent of fear," he remarked, his eyes changing color ever so slightly. Kagome trembled beneath his touch, but still made no effort to try and stop him or escape, which was obviously what he'd been wanting.

The youkai hissed in displeasure, lifting her chin in a strong grip, forcing her to look at him. "You're not worth my time, wench," he spat, baring his fangs. In a lightning fast move, the snake youkai went for her neck, his fangs dripping poison, but he never stood a chance.

When his fangs were just inches from his neck, Kagome screamed and closed her eyes tightly, hands shoving at the youkai's chest. When the deadly strike never came, she opened her eyes when she heard a sizzling sound and stared into the surprised youkai's eyes. Glancing down, she could see her hands engulfed in pink flames, which were consequently burning into the youkai's flesh. She was purifying him. Kagome heard the crowd screaming, but her mind was elsewhere. The Shikon no Tama, which hung around her neck and hidden by her school uniform, was glowing brightly, lifting itself from the girl's throat and adding miko's energy to the energy already being manifested through her hands. Kagome watched distantly as the youkai disintegrated, the ashes blown by the warm summer breeze.

Once the threat was over, Kagome became conscious of her surroundings once more, aware that the youkai in the surrounding area were staring at her, a few of them closing in. Vaguely, she remembered the stories her mother told of the youkai killing those they knew had miko powers and a chill of fear ran down her spine. As a youkai, one of the snake youkai's friends, lunged at her, she shrieked and held up her hands in front of her in defense, looking away. Hearing a dull _thud_, Kagome slowly turned her gaze to see the stunned youkai on the ground, its lifeless gaze staring up at the skies as its body disintegrated. To her surprise, she was surrounded by a pink dome of miko energy, enabling her to move safely amongst the youkai without them being able to touch her.

Using this newfound ability, Kagome surged through the crowds, listening in fear to their growls and threats of death as she rushed past them, but luckily for her, they weren't able to act out their threats. She was far too powerful for that. All she wanted to do was get home and stay there, never leave the house again unless she absolutely had to. But… she had to go to work and, with some luck, her masters wouldn't recognize her to be the miko that had caused a scene on the streets and managed to escape…


	2. The Phoenix

War

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, and that's just my bad luck speaking.

Kagome tried to go about her job as usual, which was hard to do when her master, talking right in front of the servants, was discussing the miko they now called 'The Phoenix,' after the legendary fire bird that, upon its death, rose from its ashes and started anew. Just like Midoriko's reincarnate, the miko they had been waiting for so many years.

Her hands trembling, Kagome made her way to the table without dropping anything, which was a relief seeing as how she was shaking so badly. "You!" Kagome froze, turning her solemn gaze onto her master Sesshoumaru's guest without a word. He gestured to his empty goblet and, without missing a beat, the miko reached over and filled his glass before gracefully bowing out. In the kitchen, Sango, one of Kagome's closest friend and fellow servant in Sesshoumaru's household, nudged her. "Have you heard about the miko that was spotted in the marketplace today?" she asked solemnly as she handed Kagome a rag to wash the dishes with.

Kagome dejectedly started taking her frustration out on the dishes, her eyes focused on anything but Sango. "No, why? What did she do?" Sango instantly filled her in on the situation, and how since most of the youkai that had been in the crowd hadn't really caught a good look at the girl's face, they would have to recognize her only by scent. "They say her scent in unmistakable," Sango explained. "Very unique, even for humans. They couldn't quite find a way to explain it, but they said it was a very feminine scent and one they would recognize anywhere." Kagome's heart sank. Her family was now in danger as a result of her actions, and there was no one left in the city to teach her how to change or cover her scent. It would only be a matter of time before they traced her scent back to her family.

Sango was just about to say something about her friend's odd behavior when growls and shouting caught their attention. Although both of them knew that it was against the rules to eavesdrop, the two girls left the kitchen and crept towards the dining room, listening carefully.

"What do you mean, Inuyasha has returned? How long has he been back?" Sesshoumaru demanded, rising from his seat and slamming his clawed fists down onto the expensive cherry oak table that he'd brought in. Kagome nor Sango envied his guest at the moment. "He's been back for a couple of days now, just wandering around the city," his guest replied nonchalantly, sipping at his wine. "We haven't seen much of him, but we understand that he was a part of the crowd that witnessed the miko's fight with General Shikouri."

Kagome, forgetting about listening to the rest of the conversation, resisted the urge to gasp, clasping a hand over her mouth to prevent Sesshoumaru from noticing they were there as a chill of fear ran down her spine. She hadn't killed just anyone… no, she had killed one of Sesshoumaru's lesser generals, one of his most trusted. She knew she was in big trouble. He would inevitably hunt her down until he found her, which probably wouldn't take long. If he knew the scent he was looking for, Sesshoumaru would've found some horrible way to kill her already, but thankfully enough for her, he didn't know and he wouldn't unless someone found something of hers.

Kagome nearly groaned aloud as she thought of her books, all of which had her scent smeared all over it because she handled them everyday. Life just wasn't fair, especially for young girls who suddenly find out that they were mikos on their fifteenth birthday. Seeing Sango watching her from the corner of her eye, Kagome gestured for them to return to the kitchen now that Sesshoumaru and his guest were speaking at a lower volume and in a more polite tone of voice, although Sesshoumaru still sounded agitated. Silently, both of them slipped back into the kitchen, lost in their own thoughts.

"Kagome?"

Turning to look at her friend, Kagome wasn't sure what to think of the speculation that she saw in Sango's eyes. "What is it, Sango?" she asked quietly, her gaze returning to the blackened pot she just happened to have been working on. It was a reasonable excuse, for if the head cook came in and spotted Kagome just standing there talking to Sango, she would be whipped.

"What do you know about the Phoenix?" Her face turning a bit red, Sango quickly added, "The bird, I mean. What do you know about the bird?"

Kagome scrubbed a bit slower at her pot, trying to recall the stories and legends of the Phoenix, the mythological creature that she had always been infatuated with. Funny that the youkai should name her that. Normally, she could recall the stories in a moment, but she was having a bit of trouble that night, with everything that had happened. "Well, Sango," she began hesitantly, a distant look in her eyes, "the Phoenix is no ordinary bird. It's feathers are the shade of fire, and they appear to be constantly burning as well. When it flies, it leaves a trail of flame and magic in its wake. The most extraordinary feature, however, is the fact that after it died, the bird rises from the ashes of its former body and becomes a new creature."

The girl flushed a bit when she saw Sango watching her, trying to find a reason for her friend's strange behavior. Sango, Kagome knew, was smart and had the distinct ability to put two and two together and come up with an answer. There was no way she would be able to hide the fact that she was the miko the youkai called 'The Phoenix' from her childhood friend. Sango, who came from a long line of youkai slayers, was too smart for her own good.

"Kagome, what are you hiding from me?"

Sango's tone was casual, almost as though she were asking Kagome what she was going to wear to work tomorrow instead of asking her for the darkest secret that she'd ever had to hide from someone.

Kagome sighed, her hand pausing in its work as she turned to look at Sango with a slight smile. "I guess I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

Sango _tsked_ and shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Kag. I've been your best friend since we were five years old, and I'm not going to let you start keeping secrets from me now," she warned, pointing a wooden spoon in Kagome's direction that the girl knew she wouldn't hesitate to smack her with. "I want to know what's been eating at you all night to the point where you haven't said more than five words to me all night when you're usually talkative."

The taijiya was caught off-guard by the sob that tore loose from Kagome's throat, or the look of complete terror on her friend's face as she turned to look at her. "I can't bear this burden alone," Kagome whispered pitifully, her eyes filling with tears. "You're the only person I can trust with this secret, Sango, so please, don't tell anyone!"

Sango could tell by the slightly hopeful look in Kagome's eyes that she was completely serious and nodded her head slightly in agreement, steeling herself for what Kagome had to say.

"I am the Phoenix, the miko that killed one of General Sesshoumaru's most trusted soldiers, and I am the miko that they're out there hunting for tonight," Kagome whispered, trembling once more. She could only cross her fingers and pray to any god that would listen that Sesshoumaru hadn't heard what she had to say. Sango's eyes widened in surprise, but she said nothing, having expected something like that. Instead, she leaned over and gave her pale friend a much-needed hug. "Don't you worry about a thing, Kagome. As a taijiya, I swear to do my very best to keep those monsters from finding out whom the Phoenix really is," Sango remarked solemnly. Kagome nearly burst into tears at her words. Taijiyas, especially ones from Sango's family, were well-known for their fierce loyalty to their friends and their word. If Sango promised that, then she fully intended on carrying it out as well. "Oh Sango," Kagome nearly wailed, grateful to have such a loyal friend at her side in troubled times, "you have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that!"

Sango smiled grimly, patting Kagome's shoulder affectionately. "Oh, I just might, Kag. I just might." Clearing her throat, she gestured to the huge stack of dishes awaiting them. "Now that we've cleared that up, we'd better get going on these dishes. If we don't hurry, we might get whipped for taking too long." Although Sango was completely serious, Kagome giggled for the first time that night, sounding more like herself than she had before the incident with the youkai…

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Kagome held up a shirt against her body, glancing in the full-sized mirror that stood in front of her for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think this is my color," she remarked to Sango, handing it back to the saleswoman. Sango merely chuckled. "It might not look good on you," she replied with a grin as she reached for the shirt Kagome had discarded, "but I think it's just the right color for me!"

Kagome turned to look at her best friend as Sango held up the shirt, nodding in approval. "Yes, actually, it does look better on you," she admitted somewhat sheepishly as Sango added it to her pile of clothes that she was going to buy. For some odd reason or another, Sesshoumaru had given both girls a bonus in their check, and their automatic reaction was to go shopping, after giving a bit to their mothers of course.

"May my eyes never see again after having beheld such beautiful goddesses," a male voice proclaimed dramatically as they turned, eyeing the young man standing before them curiously. He fell to his knees, his violet eyes perfectly serious as he took Sango's hand into his own and kissed it. "May I have the pleasure of asking you to bear my children?" Kagome chuckled as Sango's face turned an odd shade of red, then purple. She wasn't surprised in the least when Sango smacked him, her eyes blazing. "Hentai!" she shrieked, backing away as quickly as possible while still glaring at the raven-haired boy.

Moments later, the boy was being dragged away by his silver-haired companion, who conveniently showed up just as the violet-eyed hentai had begun crawling in Sango's direction, who looked like she was going to blow a vein. "You'll have to forgive my friend," the hentai's companion muttered just loud enough for the both of them to hear, his golden eyes meeting Kagome's. She instantly turned red and backed away a bit. "S-S-Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked, blinking in surprise. The boy's companion looked like a carbon copy of the youkai general, except for his skin was tanned from being out in the sun and his hair had a rougher texture to it than Sesshoumaru's. The boy narrowed his gaze at the two girls, unceremoniously dropping his friend. "You know my bastard of a half-brother?" He growled, glaring at the both of them.

Sango stepped in front of Kagome, her own gaze narrowing. "That's no business of yours," she snapped in retaliation as she grabbed Kagome's hand and dragged her towards the cashier, suspicion echoed in her gaze.

Kagome, still frightened and a little relieved that it hadn't been Sesshoumaru after all, glanced back at the half-brother of Sesshoumaru as Sango dragged her out of the store, still steaming mad…


	3. Underground

War

Chapter Three

As Kagome stepped out of Sesshoumaru's mansion later that night, the chill in the air sent a shiver down her spine. Moving out into the darkness, her eyes continually scanned the shadows for someone who might possibly try to jump her. Pulling her jacket tighter around her thin frame, the young miko glanced up at the sky for a moment, watching the moon as it slowly began its journey into the sky. It was a lovely night, Kagome thought to herself with a dramatic sigh; the sky was clear and the moon provided a light for Kagome to be able to see by. It was far less dangerous that way, at any rate.

As she walked, the young miko thought of her future. At the moment, everything was clouded and uncertain, fear and violence ruling almost every part of her life. It was a sad existence, she mused, but at least she was alive. That much she could be grateful for, at least.

"Hey."

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as a rough voice broke into her thoughts, the hand holding her bag turning white as she clutched it violently. As she turned, she was surprised to see the boy she'd seen in the mall standing there, watching her through hooded eyes.

For a moment, fear clutched at her heart before Kagome took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. Mustering up a slightly frightened smile, she spoke.

"Who are you?"

It hadn't been the smartest thing to ask, but Kagome had been tired. Not only that, but curiosity had been eating at her since she'd seen him in the mall. He and Sesshoumaru looked so similar that Kagome couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship they must have had as children to make them hate each other so much.

For a moment, there was silence. Finally, the hanyou lifted his head slightly, his golden gaze locking with hers. "That's nothing you need to know," he replied defensively, his silver ears twitching irritably. In spite of herself, Kagome found the way his ears moved to be cute. She had a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate that observation as much as she did.

Raising an quizzical eyebrow, Kagome eyed his wearily. "Then why am I standing here, attempting to hold a conversation with you if I don't need to know who you are?" She began walking briskly, shaking her head. "I don't stand around, talking to strangers."

But, before she had gone too far, a clawed hand snaked out and grasped her arm in a loose grip. "Wait."

Turning slightly, she was surprised to see his face a few inches from hers. Seeing that he was struggling for words, Kagome remained silent, waiting for him to say what it was that he had on his mind.

"We need to talk," he told her in a low voice, sounding as though he didn't want for them to speak out in the open. Without warning, he began to lean down slightly, his arms wrapping themselves around Kagome's thighs. But, not for long.

"What do you think you are doing?" She shrieked, causing the hanyou's sensitive ears to ring violently. Wincing at the sound, Inuyasha turned furious golden eyes to the miko.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed irritably, his eyes narrowing. "Do you want the whole youkai world to know what's going on over here?"

Kicking furiously, Kagome attempted to free herself. "You haven't answered my question," she hissed in return. "What do you think you are doing?" A moment later, Inuyasha released Kagome's legs, nearly causing her to topple over onto the pavement.

Standing abruptly, she pinned Inuyasha with a withering glare while he merely shrugged.

"Well, I was trying to give you a ride," he remarked defensively. "It will be a long walk from here to where we need to be to talk."

For a moment, Kagome considered his words. Could she trust the hanyou? Could she trust him not to lead her into a trap and get her killed? Shoving the thoughts of a million violent ways she could die, the miko quietly agreed to allow him to carry her to their destination, uncertain and slightly concerned.

It took a lot of self-control, but Kagome managed to keep herself from screaming as she soared high above the city on Inuyasha's back, clutching at his haori as though it were the only thing keeping her alive. Of course, she had no way of knowing that she was going to be doing a lot of flying with Inuyasha.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha touched down at an old, dilapidated building on the outskirts of the city. Kagome had to agree with Inuyasha; it would have been a long walk. As she followed the hanyou inside, the miko stifled a gasp. All over the place, wherever they could be laid, were injured hanyous. Kagome had a sneaky suspicion that they had been picked on merely because they were hanyous. Some of them looked seriously wounded, almost to the point of death.

Trying not to gag, Kagome stayed right on Inuyasha's heels, her eyes filling with tears as she listened to the sound of the wounded and possibly dying creatures.

"Hurry up," Inuyasha snapped as she paused at the bedside of a young hanyou, its face completely wrapped in gauze. A tear trickling down her cheek as her soft heart broke, Kagome hurried after him, sniffling softly as she went.

Finally, they reached a room that had no wounded in it. In it, sitting behind an old desk that looked about ready to fall, was the boy that Sango had taken great delight in smacking. He was whispering instructions to women that Kagome knew to be the people silently treating the wounded hanyous, who were not only picked on, but sent to the front lines in battle as well.

When he turned to face her, Kagome winced. He was smiling, although the young miko could swear that the sight she had seen was enough to suck all happiness from those who laid eyes on it.

"You are the Phoenix," he stated confidently, leaning against his desk as he stared up at Kagome, who was gaping at him. Smirking, he shrugged nonchalantly. "There were humans that saw that whole thing too, you know."

"Now that you know," Kagome ventured quietly, "what are your plans for me? Are you going to turn me into Sesshoumaru?" There was a slightly hesitant pause before she spoke again, suspicion and uncertainty creeping into the miko's tone. "Are you going to tell the youkai where I am?"

The boy laughed, his violet eyes twinkling with pleasure. "I wouldn't dream of it, Kagome Higurashi. If anything, we need your help." His words caught Kagome's attention instantly. "We are the underground, the humans and hanyous that have teamed up to fight the youkai's opposing rule. On the other hand, if Sesshoumaru lives, then our battle will continue."

Kagome grasped what they wanted from her almost instantly and, with a gasp, she shook her head vigorously. "No! If you want Sesshoumaru dead, you kill him yourself!" Tears shone in her eyes as she met Inuyasha's gaze, her own stormy gaze intent. "I will say this once, and only once- **_I do not kill intentionally._** Self defense is one thing in my mind, but that's just plain murder!"

"Great… our future is in the hands of a miko with morals," Kagome heard Inuyasha grumble, but Miroku said nothing.

"But on the other hand," Kagome continued, "I would be willing to help out around here. It's apparent to me that you need more people to nurse your wounded."

"Do you know how to heal?" Miroku asked innocently, watching her with those intense violet eyes. It was Inuyasha, though, that answered Miroku's question.

"Are you nuts, Miroku? Mikos can't heal hanyous without running the risk of purifying them," the irate hanyou snapped irritably, his cute, fluffy ears pinned to his head in irritation. "They would die if she attempted to use her powers to heal them."

Kagome hung her head in shame. "And besides, I don't know how," she admitted sheepishly, not looking up from her shoes, which had suddenly become rather interesting. "I haven't been trained to do anything, and what I have learned, I learned in the heat of battle."

Inuyasha looked just plain irritated now. "What are we supposed to do with a miko who doesn't know anything? Look," he stated firmly, turning to Kagome, "it's getting late. We should probably get you home."

Without another word, he pulled Kagome out of the room and out of the building, the young miko doing her best to keep up with Inuyasha. As the hanyou leapt over the city in gigantic leaps, Kagome did nothing more than stare at his ears, lost in her thoughts.

She was caught off-guard when Inuyasha landed in front of what was her home, which was actually nothing more than a broken-down hovel in the middle of the city. Feeling self-conscious as she removed herself from Inuyasha's back, she didn't meet his gaze as she stared at the place she called home.

"Thank you," she told him softly, still not meeting his gaze. "By the way, I don't know your-"

She broke off as she turned, realizing that the hanyou had left already, as silent as the night itself. With a resigned sigh, Kagome hurried into her home, her heart weighed down by the fact that she couldn't help the Underground fighters very much. Silently, she closed her door behind her and headed to her room…


End file.
